ASU's Center for Strategic Communication continues legacy of innovation, impact

The Hugh Downs School of Human Communication is marking a new chapter in the legacy of the Center for Strategic Communication as leadership transitions from Professor Emeritus Steven R. Corman to Associate Professor Bradley Adame.

Founded in 2002 in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, the center began as the Consortium for Strategic Communication, an initiative within the Hugh Downs School. Its goal was to apply communication research and theory to public sector strategic communication, particularly in understanding and countering terrorist narratives. The center’s blog and white paper series were early efforts to bridge academic research with real-world challenges.

That pioneering work attracted the attention of the Office of Naval Research, which in 2009 awarded the center with a $3.5 million grant titled "Identifying Terrorist Narrative and Counter-Narratives: Embedding Story Analysts in Expeditionary Units" under the Department of Defense’s Human Social Culture Behavior Research program. The center was also supported by a $5.9 million grant through the DoD’s Minerva Initiative, primed by ASU’s Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict.

Recognized for its success in securing external funding, the center was designated an Arizona Board of Regents Research Center in 2011 with Corman as its founding director. Under his leadership, the center has primed or supported more than $27 million in grant funding, and its affiliates have produced six books and over 45 journal articles and book chapters. Although stepping down as director, Corman will remain actively involved as a senior affiliate.

Today, the center includes 11 faculty affiliates spanning six academic fields, with research expanding beyond counterterrorism to include narrative, state-based propaganda and health communication.

Adame, who now leads the center, said he is both honored and energized to continue its legacy of impact.

“Under Steve’s leadership, the CSC helped the Hugh Downs School gain visibility across the university and created many valuable opportunities for graduate students who have worked on its projects over the years,” Adame said. “At the same time, this is a challenging and uncertain moment.”

Funding opportunities through the federal government have decreased significantly, with some programs seeing major cuts or elimination. In response, Adame plans to broaden the center’s focus on health communication and pursue new partnerships with private and foundation funders.

“I’m excited to build on the center’s history of innovation while exploring new areas of impact,” Adame said. “While the funding landscape for research has evolved, we’re approaching it as an opportunity to think creatively about new partnerships. Our goal is to continue advancing research that addresses critical communication challenges in society.”